“We are very proud of the work we do every day here at DMV and it’s great to be recognized for these efforts,” said Terri Egan, DMV Executive Deputy Commissioner. “We thank AAMVA for recognizing New York State as a national leader in customer service. These awards are also a great tribute to our staff, who strive to make DMV a better place for New Yorkers to do business every day.”

For 17 consecutive years, DMV employees have demonstrated their concern for members of their local communities by donating nonperishable food items to local food banks and food pantries for distribution to those in need. The food drive campaign usually runs for four to six weeks, from mid-December through the end of January.

At its Swan Street headquarters in Albany, DMV employees donated a total of 5,075.8 lbs. of nonperishable food items, a 33 percent increase over the previous year and the most food per pound among the participating New York State agencies. The food was donated to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York in Latham, which serves 21 upstate counties. In addition, DMV Field Offices donated 1,612 lbs. of food and $530 in cash to local food banks and food pantries. In total, DMV employees donated 6,687.8 lbs., equal to 3.34 tons of food collected statewide, approximately a 42.23 percent increase over the past year.

The food banks estimate that for every $1 donated, they can procure up to $15 worth of fresh produce and services. A monetary donation of $530 has the potential purchasing value of up to $7,950.

DMV investigators discovered a high-quality counterfeit U.S. Virgin Islands driver license that was presented to and accepted by the agency for reciprocity. The case was referred to Iovinelli for an investigation. As a result of her work, charges have been brought against more than 70 individuals who had submitted fraudulent U.S. Virgin Island driver licenses to DMV. She also prepared a document alert that was shared with 130 state and county offices, the AAMVA Fraud Alert Site and other state DMV’s.

In addition to the arrests, Investigator Iovinelli is administratively cancelling the driving privilege of each subject arrested as well as taking the subjects to administrative hearings seeking a one-year revocation of their driving privilege.

Security Award for Operation Prevent, which targets enforcement of the use of false identification to prevent the purchase of alcoholic beverages by people who are not of legal drinking age.

DMV regularly partners with local law enforcement and state agencies to arrest people who are using false identification or someone else’s driver license to buy alcoholic beverages when they are underage and not legally able to drink. During the summer months, investigators and local law enforcement go to high-profile summer concerts to prevent crashes by targeting those underage who are consuming alcohol. Other enforcement sweeps are held throughout the year, especially during prom and graduation season, to protect the integrity of New York’s identification documents and keep New York’s roads safe.

Service Award for Improvement through Efficiencies with its Electronic Salvage Certificate Project.

This DMV initiative streamlined the process for handling salvage vehicles under the New York State Executive Chamber Lean Program. Prior to the initiative, DMV processed about 140,000 paper salvage declarations each year. DMV partnered with insurance companies and automobile auction houses to transition to an electronic process that eliminated the need for DMV to manually sort and process approximately 85 percent of the salvage declarations the agency received each year. That translates into nearly one million pages of paper documents that insurance companies and auction houses no longer have to send to DMV and that the agency no longer has to process. You can read more about this initiative on the DMV website.

Three PACE awards given to DMV Communications staff. New York DMV was recognized by AAMVA with the best Print and Electronic Publication, Media Event, and News Release among all motor vehicle agencies in the country in 2016.

AAMVA honored DMV for its Print and Electronic Publication Top 5 DMV Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. The publication details the most frequent errors people make: forgetting to update an address, leaving the state without notifying DMV, letting insurance lapse, not understanding how much traffic points cost, and not bringing the right documentation to a DMV office. The useful advice is meant to help consumers know what errors to avoid to make their experience at DMV more efficient and effective.

A press conference featuring Xfinity Driver Ross Chastain, designed to promote and encourage the use of seat belts under the theme “Protect Your Melon,” also received recognition as the best media event among all motor vehicle agencies for 2016. The event was coordinated by DMV and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and the campaign is a partnership between JD Motorsports and New York State.